Tatar-Bashkir Report: June 12, 2000

Republican Board To Submit To Russian MinistryThe former chief of the republican board fighting organized crime, Georgy Balyasnikov, told reporters on 9 June about changes in the board's management structure. Balyasnikov said that after the 30 May order by Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo, regional bodies fighting organized crime will report directly to the Russian Interior Ministry. He said a reorganization is necessary and will take place in Tatarstan as well as in other regions. In his opinion, the activity of the board will be unchanged under the new arrangment. Balyasnikov expressed concern only about financing and maintenance of assets, which will henceforth be carried out by Moscow.

Transaero To Buy TU-214sNail Khairullin, the general manager of Kazan's Gorbunov air industrial association, and the chairman of the board the air company Transaero Aleksandr Pleshakov, signed in Kazan on 9 June an agreement on the production and sale of 10 TU-214 planes, the daily "Respublika Tatarstan" reported. Pleshakov told press the same day that the document that was signed is a preliminary one, and the final contract will most likely be concluded in November. The Kransoyarsk Airlines company and Tatarstan's Tupolev scientific-research enterprise are also participating in the project. According to the $200-300 million contract, the air companies will get the planes by autumn of 2001. For the completion of the planes' production, $110 million is to be invested. It is expected that 10-15 percent of that sum will be allocated by the air companies and 40 million rubles will be given by the Russian government. Negotiations with Russian and Tatarstan banks continue.

Tatneft To Get Nizhnekamskshina's Controlling InterestTatarstan's tire company, Nizhnekamskshina, decided at an annual shareholders' meeting on 9 June to give some 35 percent of its shares to the leading republican oil company Tatneft, which will be invested in tire production within five years and no less than $75 million annually, the daily "Respublika Tatarstan" reported. Furthermore, Tatneft will be given 25 more percent of the shares and will allow it to gain a controlling interest in Nizhnekamskshina. Tatarstan's prime minister, Rustam Minnikhanov, told the meeting that the measure is due to a sharpening of competition between tire manufacturers and the danger of becoming depending on fuel supplied by monopolies such as Gazprom. Minnilhanov said that Tatneft is expected to take up maintenance of the fuel and materials and participate in top investment projects of Nizhnekamskshina. The republican government will help in restructuring the company's debts to Kazan and Moscow budgets.